The upper lower split (short for “upper body lower body split”) is a workout routine that separates your workouts into two types: upper-body and lower-body workouts.
Upper lower split routines are popular because they’re simple, flexible, and effective. Provided they’re well-designed, they also allow you to train your entire body efficiently without ever overextending yourself.
As is the case with any training split, though, you have to know how to “program” your workouts correctly. Focus on the wrong exercises or include excessive sets and reps, and you run the risk of overtraining or getting injured.
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the upper lower split, including what it is, why it’s beneficial, the best 3-, 4-, and 5-day upper lower split routines for gaining muscle and strength, and more.
What Is an Upper Lower Split?
The upper lower split (often written “upper/lower split”) is a training routine that divides your workouts into upper- and lower-body workouts.
In upper-body workouts, you train all of the muscle groups in your upper body, including your chest, shoulders, back, and arms.
In lower-body workouts, you train all of the muscle groups in your lower body, including your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
A 4-day upper lower split is the most common version of the upper lower split workout routine. In this variation, you do two upper- and two lower-body workouts each week.
That said, the upper lower split routine is flexible, so you can easily rearrange workouts into a 2-, 3-, or 5-day upper lower split if this better suits your schedule and goals.
The Best Upper Lower Split for Mass
The following are tried and tested 3- 4-, and 5-day upper lower splits.
The reason they work so well is that they have you doing all the best compound exercises and contain the right number of weekly sets to promote muscle and strength gain without wearing you to a frazzle.
3-Day Upper Lower Split
If you’re a beginner, need a lot of time to recover, or have a busy schedule, a 3-day upper lower split is an excellent solution.
Below are two 3-day upper lower splits: One that emphasizes the upper body and another that emphasizes the lower body. Choose whichever suits your goals best, or alternate between them every 8-to-10 weeks of training. For both routines, leave at least one day of rest between each workout
Note: The deadlift features in both versions of the 3-day upper lower split on upper- and lower-body days. This isn’t a mistake—the deadlift trains your entire posterior chain (all the muscles on the back of your body), which means it fits nicely into both upper- and lower-body workouts.
Here’s the 3-day upper lower split that emphasizes the upper body:
And here’s the 3-day upper lower split that emphasizes the lower body:
4-Day Upper Lower Split
The 4-day upper lower split is the default version of the upper lower split. It’s popular with everyone from beginners to advanced weightlifters because it allows you to do plenty of volume (sets and reps) for all of your muscle groups, which is beneficial for helping you gain full-body muscle and strength, but it also includes three rest days per week, which is ample.
The best way to schedule the upper lower 4-day split is to do workouts 1 and 2 on consecutive days, take a rest day, then do workouts 3 and 4 on the next two consecutive days, followed by two rest days.
5-Day Upper Lower Split
The 5-day upper lower split is overkill for beginners, but it can be useful for intermediate and advanced weightlifters in certain circumstances. For example, you could use the following 5-day upper lower split to maximize muscle and strength gains during a bulk, or to temporarily increase your weekly volume to help you break through a weightlifting plateau.
Like with the 3-day upper lower split routine, there are two versions: one that emphasizes your upper body and one that emphasizes your lower body.
Here’s the 5-day upper lower split that emphasizes the upper body:
And here’s the 5-day upper lower split that emphasizes the lower body:
Upper Lower Split Routine Benefits
1. It trains your entire body.
A common beginner mistake is dedicating too much time to training the “mirror muscles”—the pecs, shoulders, and biceps—and neglecting the back, triceps, and legs.
This creates size and strength muscle imbalances between the back and front and upper and lower portions of your body, which spoil your “aesthetics” and may increase your risk of injury.
The upper lower split helps you avoid this issue by ensuring you train all of your major muscle groups proportionally.
2. It allows you to train all of your muscles at least twice per week.
Many workout routines have you train just one muscle group per workout. While this can work in some circumstances, research shows that training your muscles more than once a week is likely better for gaining muscle and strength.
Upper lower split workout routines typically contain at least two upper-body workouts and at least two lower-body workouts each week, making them highly effective at helping you build muscle and get stronger.
3. It ensures your training is high-quality.
When you train just one muscle group per workout, its performance usually begins to plummet before your workout is finished. This means you have to compensate by using lighter weights or doing fewer reps in your later sets, which stymies your progress over time.
With the upper lower split, you never train any one muscle group to the point of exhaustion. This allows you to perform high-quality reps with heavy weights, which is generally better for building muscle and gaining strength.
4. It limits soreness and fatigue.
Because you never train your muscles to exhaustion while following an upper lower split, you minimize soreness and cumulative fatigue.
For example, if you “crush” your chest on Monday, your triceps and delts may still be sore when it’s time for your shoulder workout on Wednesday, which will likely limit your performance.
When you follow an upper lower split, you experience less muscle soreness and fatigue from individual training sessions, and your training at the end of the week isn’t negatively affected by the workouts you did earlier in the week.
5. It allows for plenty of rest.
Research shows that after you train a muscle, it’s best to wait around 48 hours before you train it again.
There are two primary reasons for this:
- It reduces your risk of injury (especially repetitive strain injuries).
- It ensures you can give maximal effort in your workouts, which helps with progressive tension overload.
In any well-designed upper lower split routine (like those included above), each of your major muscle groups will get at least two-to-four days of rest between workouts.
3 Tips for More Productive Upper Lower Split Workouts
1. End every set 1-to-3 reps shy of muscle failure.
As I explain in my fitness books for men and women, to maximize your results, you must take most of the sets in your upper lower split workouts to within a rep or two of failure.
Ask yourself at the end of each set, “If I had to, how many more reps could I have gotten with good form?” If the answer is more than two, increase the weight or reps to make your next set more challenging.
2. Once you hit the top of your rep range for a set, move up in weight.
If your upper lower split workout calls for 4-to-6 reps of the bench press and you get 6 reps for a set, add 10 pounds to your next set.
If you manage 3 or fewer reps with the new weight, reduce the weight by 5 pounds to ensure you stay in the 4-to-6 rep range.
Follow this pattern of trying to add reps or weight to every exercise in every workout.
3. Take the right supplements
These supplements can help you optimize your performance and gains while following a upper lower split program:
- Protein powder: Protein powder, such as whey or casein, provides your body with the nutrients needed to build muscle tissue and recover from workouts.
- Creatine: Creatine supplements, such as creatine monohydrate powder and gummies, boost muscle and strength gain, improve anaerobic endurance, and reduce muscle damage and soreness from your workouts.
- Pre-workout: A high-quality pre-workout enhances energy, mood, and focus, increases strength and endurance, and reduces fatigue.
(If you’d like even more specific advice about which supplements you should take to reach your health and fitness goals, take the Legion Supplement Finder Quiz, and in less than a minute, you’ll know exactly what supplements are right for you.)
Upper Lower Split Workout: FAQs
FAQ #1: What is the most popular upper lower split?
The 4-day upper lower split routine is the most popular version of the upper lower split because it lets you train your entire body with plenty of volume while still allowing you three rest days each week. This balance makes it great for building muscle and strength without wearing you out.
FAQ #2: What is the 4-day upper lower powerlifting split?
A 4-day upper lower powerlifting split is any 4-day upper lower split routine that emphasizes the squat, bench press, and deadlift. There are many 4-day upper lower split routines that fit this criteria, but one of the most famous and effective is Wendler 5/3/1, which you can learn more about here:
Get Strong Fast With the 5/3/1 Strength Training Program
FAQ #3: Is the upper lower split better than PPL?
Both the PPL (push pull legs) and upper lower splits are excellent training routines for gaining muscle and strength. Neither is inherently better than the other; which you choose depends on your schedule and preferences.
For example, you’ll probably prefer PPL if you can only train three days a week or like to focus on one muscle group or “movement pattern” per session. Conversely, if you can train four days a week and prefer spreading out your volume to avoid muscle soreness, the upper lower split is likely better.
To learn more about the push pull legs split, check out this article:
The Ultimate Guide to the Push Pull Legs Workout Routine
Scientific References +
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- “Comparison of 1 Day and 3 Days per Week of Equal-Volume... : The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research.” LWW, 2019, journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2000/08000/Comparison_of_1_Day_and_3_Days_Per_Week_of.6.aspx.
- Crewther, Blair, et al. “The Effects of Two Equal-Volume Training Protocols upon Strength, Body Composition and Salivary Hormones in Male Rugby Union Players.” Biology of Sport, vol. 33, no. 2, 6 Mar. 2016, pp. 111–116, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4885621/, https://doi.org/10.5604/20831862.1196511.
- Ochi, Eisuke , et al. Higher Training Frequency Is Important for Gaining Muscular Strength under Volume-Matched Training. 1 July 2018, https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00744.
- Paz, G.A. , et al. Muscle Activation and Volume Load Performance of Paired Resistance Training Bouts with Differing Inter-Session Recovery Periods. Apr. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2020.02.011.
- Stokes, Tanner, et al. “Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training.” Nutrients, vol. 10, no. 2, 7 Feb. 2018, p. 180, www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/2/180/pdf, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020180.
- Eckerson, Joan M., et al. “Effect of Creatine Phosphate Supplementation on Anaerobic Working Capacity and Body Weight after Two and Six Days of Loading in Men and Women.” The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 19, no. 4, 2005, p. 756, https://doi.org/10.1519/r-16924.1.
- Bassit, Reinaldo Abunasser, et al. “Effect of Short-Term Creatine Supplementation on Markers of Skeletal Muscle Damage after Strenuous Contractile Activity.” European Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 108, no. 5, 3 Dec. 2009, pp. 945–955, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1305-1.
